Mount for wheeled gun carriages



H. c. ZIMMERMAN MOUNT FOR WHEELED-GUN CARRIAGES Filed Oct. '8, 1924 2 sheets-Sheet 1 as smut Nov. 9 1926. 1,606,116

H. c. ZIMMERMAN MOUNT FOE WHEELED GUN GARRIAGES Filed OCta, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Illlllh lllll' Harry E-Z1mmerman 'm zl/m z Elm: nu

HARRY C. ZIMMERMAN, OF XVASHINGTOI'L',

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

MOUNT FOR V/"HEEL-ED GUN CARBIAGES.

Application filed 'fictober 8, 1924. Serial No. 742,496.

(GRANTED UNDER THE ACT -Ola T he invention described herein may be used by the Government, or any 0t its oihcers or employees in prosecution of work tor the Government, or by any other person in .the United States, without payment to me 0t any royalty thereon, in accordance with the act 0t iniarch 3, 1883.

T he subject of this invention is amount wheeled gun carriages.

The entrance of aircraft in warfare demanding especially designed weapons for combating it, also requires that the field artillery gun while retaining its characteristics as a mobile field weapon be rendered capable of its own defense and able to protect its assigned territory from hostile aerial attack. 7

The requirement of a split trail for this type of carriage, which the nature of its dual function imposes, necessitates that the top carriage which supports the cradle and gun be mounted from the axle there being provided in the present invention roller bearings for facilitating traversing ot the piece.

To keep the trunnion centers as low as possible and still provide suificient vertical distance for recoil when the gun is in high elevation, the gun is trunnioned trom a position adjacent its breech and an equilibrator for counteracting the unbalanced weight of the gun is mounted in a novel manner and contrary *to custom from the top carriage.

'1 he invention also aims to provide a simple form of equalizer for stabilizing the carriage when its wheels or trails are ,on uneven ground which may be positioned to obtain sufficient road clearance and which avoids the use of gears and other complicated parts and also which does not interfere with the top carriage during the traversing operation. I

To these and other ends, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of elements, described herematter and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

A practical embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in side ele MARCHB, 1883; 22 STAT. L. 625.)

vation of agun, the near portions cut away to show the mount constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. is a plan View of the axle with attendant structure;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the pintle;

F at is a sectional view on the line H of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a tragmentarydetail view of one of the equalizer trunnions and bearings; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail sectional view of one oi the arms.

l tet'erring to .the drawings by numerals :Of rererence According to .the invention the axle 10 of a gun carriage is formed centrally with vertical projections 11 titted with roller bearings 12 and constituting a pintle for mounting the top carriage.

The top carriage consists of horizontally disposed plates 13 and 1 1, respectively mounted on the upper and lower set of roller bearings and to which are secured spaced uprights .15 .having a sleeve or housing 16 connecting their lower ends for .the reception of the angle of sight shaft 17. lhe upper ends of the upright are formed with bearings for supporting the trunnions of the cradle 18.

lvlounted on the lower plate let adjacent the axle is a bracket 19 preferablyconsisting ot a pair of spaced L-shaped members connected at their foremost portion for attachment by bolts 20 and extending rearwardly between the uprights 15. The free ends of the members are apertured to .receive the trunnion bar 21 of an equilibrator which so consists of telescoping cylindrical casings 22 enclosing springs (not shown) the upper one of which casing is .pi votally connected to a lug 23 formed on the cradle forwardly of the cradle trunnions. The upper plate 95 13 is formed with a cut out portion .13 for accommodating the equi'librator.

A traversing segment 2& secured to a .rib 25 on the upper plate 18 overlies the axle and is operable through a worm shaft 26 '100 to provide means for rotating .the top .car riage about the pintle when laying the gun in azimuth.

An equalizing device for preserving the stability of the carriage when its wheels or trails are 011 uneven ground is associated with the trail and mounted in front of and parallel to the axle. It consists of a member 27 having trunnions 28 journaled in bushings 29 on the forward extremities 30 of arms 31 which are revolubly mounted on the axle and have apertured cars 32 for attachment of the trail beams 33 by means of bolts 34. The equalizer member 27 is provided cent ally with an annular bearing 35 for the reception of a bushing 36 pinned to a fulcrum 37 so that it may be swung about the central pivot when one of the trails is moved higher or lower than the other. The fulcrum is disposed horizontally through the axle so as not to interfere with the rotation of the top carriage and may be conveniently secured by a nut 38. The projecting portion of the fulcrum is supported by a hanger 39 attached to the shield frame 40.

The angle of sight shaft 17 is operatively connected to a hand wheel 41 and an elevating segment 42, it being understood that a duplicate segment is similarly carried on the far or right side of the gun and that a suitable elevating gearing is also provided.

lVhile in the foregoing there has been illustrated and described, such combination and arrangement of elements as constitute the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is nevertheless desired to emphasize the fact that interpretation of the invention should only be conclusive when made in the light of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In a wheeled gun carriage, an axle formed centrally with vertical projections, roller bearings fitted on the projections, a top carriage including an upper and lower horizontally disposed plate mounted on said roller bearings, spaced uprights secured to said plates, said uprights connected at their lower ends by a tubular housing, a cradle trunnioned on said uprights, a bracket secured to the lower plate adjacent the axle, said bracket including spaced members extending rearwardly between the uprights, an equilibrator trunnioned in the free ends of said members and connected to the cradle, trails, arms on the axle to which the trails are secured, an equalizer member connecting the forward ends of said arms, said member having a central bearing, and a fulcrum within said bearing and secured horizontally to the axle.

2. In a wheeled gun carriage, an axle formed centrally with vertical projections, roller bearings fitted on the projections, 21 top carriage mountedon said bearings, a bracket secured to the top carriage adjacent the axle, an equilibrator trunnioned in said bracket, trail arms on the axle, an equalizing member connecting said arms, and a fulcrum passing centrally through said member and secured horizontally to the axle.

3. A gun mount including a support having vertical projections, roller bearings fitted 011 the projections, an upper and lower horizontally disposed plate mounted on said.

roller bearings, the upper plate having a cut out portion, spaced uprights secured to said plates and adapted to support cradle trunnions, said uprights connected at their lower ends by a tubular housing, a bracket secured to the lower plate adjacent the support, said brackets including spaced angled members extending rearwardly between the uprights, and an equilibrator trunnioned in the free ends of said members.

i. A gun mount including a support having opposite projections, roller bearings fitted on the projections, horizontally disposed platcs mounted on said roller bearings, spaced uprights secured to said plates and adapted to support cradle trunnions, and a tubular housing connecting the lower ends of said uprights.

5. A gun mount including a stationary pintle, roller bearings fitted on both ends thereof, horizontally disposed plates mounted on said bearings, the upper plate being of greater length than the lower plate, and inclined uprights secured to said plates and adapted to support cradle trunnions.

6. A gun mount including a stationary pintle, horizontally disposed plates mounted in opposite ends thereof, the upper plate being of greater length than the lower plate, and uprights secured to' said plates and adapted to support cradle trunnions.

7. In combination, an axle having a pinlile bearing, a top carriage rotatably supported on the pintle bearing, a traversing segn'ient attached to the top carriage and normally extending parallel to and above the axle, and means for actuating said segment.

8. A gun mount including a pintle, a top carriage mounted therefrom, a b 'acket cured to the top carriage and extending rearwardly between the sides thereof, and an equilibrator trunnioned in said bracket be low the top carriage. 9. A gun mount inchiding a pintle, a top carriage mounted therefrom, a bracket secured t0 the top carriage and extending rearwardly between the sides thereof, and an equilibrator trunnioned in said bracl zet.

10. I11 combination with an axle, arms revolubly mounted on the axle, trails attached to said arms, an equalizing member connecting the arms and disposed forwardly of the axle, said member having a central bearing, a bushing therein, a fulcrum secured horizontally to the axle and passing through the bushing, and a hanger for supporting the exterior portion of the fulcrum.

HARRY G. ZIMMERHAN. 

